Rumba & Reverie
by Helen Palsgraf
Summary: Austin and Ally are going to the Junior Prom! Some character development and a little teen angst thrown in for fun. The final two chapters are posted!  The story is now complete.
1. Chapter 1

**Rumba & Reverie**

_This one's for my daughter, who loves Austin & Ally. (I think it's pretty darling too.) And with fond memories for my best bud, way back in high school._

_A little bit more serious than the show, and takes some creative liberties with what these kids' home lives are like for the purpose of some character development. Enjoy._

**Chapter 1:**

"Guess who got a job at Torpedo Tuxedo!" Trish announces in her sing-song voice, bouncing into the Sonic Boom. She was clad in a shiny black tux, her dark hair swept up off her neck and pulled into a tight bun.

"Oh, let me guess!" Dez leaps down from sitting on the counter, in his bright orange pants and contrasting shirt. "You?"

Ally crinkled up her nose and wiped down the glass counter with Windex and a rag, where Dez's pants had smudged it.

"That's right! Now, if I can just manage to keep this job for the next few days, I can get everyone discounts on formalwear," she said, handing Dez and Ally each a business card.

"Why would we need formalwear?" Ally shrugged, setting the card down beside the register.

"Because… next week is the Prom?" Austin offered intimately, coming up just behind Ally, making her jump from the sudden breath on the back of her head.

"Oh, my gosh, would you stop doing that? I'm going to make you wear this around your neck," she said, picking up a cow bell and ringing it at him. The blond boy just grinned back at her.

"Ally, hasn't Dallas asked you to the Prom yet?" Dez asked.

Ally began stuttering, "N-no. Wh-why would he? Like I'd say yes, anyway. I mean, the Prom! How lame is that? I could be sitting at home, in my pajamas, eating pickles, by myself, in the dark, all alone, watching sad movies, by myself…"

"Why don't _you_ just ask _him_?" Trish rolled her eyes.

"Oh, I don't think I could do that…" Ally laughed nervously, chewing on her hair.

"Why not? It's easy," Austin said, leaning on her newly cleaned counter with his elbows, fluttering his eyelashes at her then raising his voice up an octave. "'Oh, Dallas. You're sooo dreamy. Would you be my date for the Prom?'"

"What? No! No, I can't. I can't ask him, I can't," Ally moaned.

"Oh! I have an idea!" Trish interjected. "We could hire a marching band, and a choir, and…"

"No! Oh, please please please, not again, Trish! Not ever again!" Ally exclaimed, putting her hands over her face.

"I have an even better idea. Oh, but first, Ally, can I borrow your phone?" Dez asked, holding out his hand.

"Sure, I guess so. But why…" She started, handing him her phone.

Dez pushed a few buttons and then waited until it picked up. In an eerily perfect impression of Ally, Dez says, "Dallas! It's Ally. I was wondering… would you be my date for the Prom? Uh huh… Perfect! I can't wait!"

"Dez! Oh my gosh! What are you doing? Did you really just do that?" Ally exclaimed, in despair.

"Chill out, Ally. He said 'yes,'" Dez shrugged, tossing the phone back to her.

"But that's not the point… wait… he said 'yes'?" Ally said, eyes wide.

"Yeah, he said his uncle does work for a limo company, so he'll get us a limo for free. Cool, huh?" he grinned.

"Oh my gosh!" Ally exclaimed, chewing on her hair and sinking down behind the counter.

"Wait… Us?" Trish chimed in.

"Yeah, it seats up to eight. We're invited too," Dez replied, obviously pleased with himself."Dude, that's awesome!" Austin said. "It'll be perfect, considering I'm playing a set at the Prom. I can arrive in style with my entourage!"

"Now I need a date," Trish frowned. "I'm only a sophomore. I can't go without an invitation."

"That is a problem," Dez said, scratching his head. "I can't think of anyone on the planet who'd be willing to go with you though."

Trish kicked him in the shin, and he howled.

Austin chuckled. "Don't listen to him. Trish, would you like to be my date?"

"Aw, sure! Thanks, Austin!" she smiled, then kicked Dez again for good measure.

As he rubbed his shin, he lamented, "Well, now I need a date. What do you think, Bro? Any of your fan girls willing to be my date just to get to hang out with Austin Moon, internet sensation?"

Austin shrugged. "Maybe."

"Say, why don't we do a fan contest for publicity? The loser of the contest has to go to prom with Dez," Trish grinned, pleased with her jab.

"I dunno, Trish. What if I have to spend the evening with some freaky stalker chick? Wait, that sounds awesome," Dez said, his face glowing.

Behind the counter, the trio heard Ally whimpering.

"Als? You okay back there?" Austin asked, peering cautiously over the counter.

"Uh huh. Sure. Just fine. Perfect. Terrific. Oh my gosh, who am I kidding? I'm going to the Prom with Dallas!" she squeaked, covering her face with her hands.

"I thought you liked Dallas? That's why you act so unbelievably weird around him? I thought you'd be happy going to Prom with him?" Austin asked.

"I do like Dallas. That's the problem. I can't dance, I don't have a dress, I take really awkward photos, and every time I talk to Dallas, I completely humiliate myself," she moaned.

"Ally, if you want to go out with Dallas, you've got to get over this hurdle. You need to get comfortable around him so you can be yourself, just like you are with us," Austin pointed out.

"Okay, but how am I supposed to do that?" Ally sighed.

"Leave it to me, I've got a great idea," Austin grinned.

"Oh no," she looked up, alarmed. "I hope this works out better than the idea you had to get me past my stage fright. You know? That publicly humiliated me on national television?"

"Don't forget the entire world, watching it on Mytewb," Dez chuckled.

"Thanks, Dez, that's actually helpful, in an awful sort of way. See? _The entire world_, Austin," Ally emphasized.

"But this will be completely private, I promise. In fact, it will be just you and me," Austin replied.

"Okay, but how is that going to help me? I'm not nervous around you," she shrugged.

"Exactly. So, we're going to go out on a few dates, and you're going to pretend I'm Dallas. That way, when you actually go out with Dallas, you won't be nervous, and you'll know exactly what to do and say," Austin explained, obviously pleased with himself.

"Austin, that's kind of brilliant. We could even do a trial run for the Prom," Trish said.

"I don't know. I mean, I'll still know it's you," Ally hesitated.

"You won't, I promise. I'll do a great Dallas impression! We'll consider it practice for the acting career I'll have after my music career takes off," Austin winked. "So, I've got some preparations to do, which I'll need Trish's and Dez's help for, then I'll pick you up here for dinner and a movie at 6?"

Ally just nodded, left with no other choice.


	2. Chapter 2

**Chapter 2****:**

Austin walked into Sonic Boom, looking completely different. He had donned a brown wig and preppier clothes, doing his best Dallas impression. Ally looked up from writing in her songbook and broke her pencil in shock.

"Austin? Is that you?" she gasped.

"You had to do a double-take, didn't you, Als?" he grinned.

Ally groaned and rolled her eyes. "You are so lame. But I have to admit, you do a good Dallas impression."

"So, are you nervous talking to me? Looking like Dallas?" he asked, hopefully.

"Well, no, because I know you're Austin. And… you look kind of ridiculous," she smiled.

"Oh. Let me try something else," he said, turning his back to her. When he turned around, he was not only dressed as Dallas, but mimicking his voice and mannerisms. "Hey, girl, are you ready for our hot date?"

Ally snickered. "Yeah… Dallas would never say that."

"No? Okay… Hey, Ally, how's it going?" Austin tried again.

"Great, how're you doing? You look great. I mean, not that you don't always look great, it's just that you look really great, and, oh, my gosh, it's working," Ally buried her face in her hands.

"Good," he chuckled. "Now, Ally, I want you to just calm down, take a deep breath and think before you speak. I want you to count to three as you breathe in, and count to six when you breathe out. Let's try it again. Hey, Ally, how's it going?"

She did what he said, and took a deep breath, and exhaled. She smiled. "I'm doing great. How're you doing?"

"I'm doing great too. You ready for that date?" he smiled back, offering her his arm.

"I sure am!" Ally beamed, taking his arm and suddenly feeling much better.


	3. Chapter 3

**Chapter 3**:

Austin took Ally to a Cuban restaurant, where a local band was playing that night. He chose the location because it was a few miles away so they wouldn't run into anyone they know. They spent the time talking and laughing, with Austin slipping in and out of character as Dallas. Whenever Ally would start to get nervous and ramble, Austin would remind her to slow down and breathe, and she would return back to normal.

Eventually, Austin got up from the table and held out his hand. "C'mon, dance with me."

Ally groaned. "But, you remember what happened the last time… you got hurt because of me."

Austin shook his head. "That's not what happened the last time. The last time, I got to dance with my best friend at Trish's quinceañera. So, c'mon. We've got to get you ready for Prom."

Ally smiled and took his hand.

Austin taught her the simple steps of a bolero, and although Ally was still tripping over her own feet, and Austin's, she was doing remarkably better than the last time.

"See? You're doing it. You're a natural," Austin encouraged.

"How do you know all these dances, anyway?" Ally asked.

Austin shrugged. "Well, you know Mom teaches dance. There's never enough men in her classes, so whenever I'm at the studio, I get stuck dancing with old ladies that smell like mothballs and Ben Gay. So, yeah, you're a definite improvement on my usual dance partners."

"Because I smell better than old ladies?" Ally questioned, in mock offense.

He gave her a half twirl and, giving her an exaggerated whiff, chuckled, "Yeah… a little." Ally laughed as he pulled her back to him.

They continued to dance through the next few songs and, when Ally's feet could take no more, they decided to head out and call it a night.

"So… how did you feel? About your date with 'Dallas,' I mean." Austin said, opening the car door for Ally.

"Better. I think it helped a lot. I mean, of course, it was usually hard to forget that you're you, even wearing that silly wig, but tonight was really nice. Thank you," Ally smiled.

"No problem. What are friends for? I want you to have a good time at Prom, and not be nervous around Dallas. Or at least not as nervous!" Austin laughed. "I want him to see what I see in you."

Puzzled, she looked up from her keys, and asked, "See what?"

He smiled, and absent-mindedly brushed a strand of the wig hair from his eyes. "Someone who's very special."

He grinned at her, kissed her cheek lightly, and stepped down from the porch. "Goodnight, Ally."

"Goodnight, Austin." She smiled and blushed slightly, opening her front door.


	4. Chapter 4

**Chapter 4**:

That weekend, "Dallas" took Ally out two more times for both dinner and dancing. Austin also spent additional time helping her feel more comfortable dancing, taking her to the studio. Although she insisted it wasn't really necessary, since Dallas doesn't dance well either, Austin knew something she didn't: Dallas had been taking dance lessons at his mother's studio for the past month. Besides, he believed that if Ally could master something she felt she was truly horrible at, such as dancing, she would be closer to overcoming her crippling stage fright.

It was now two days before the Prom. Austin had spent the afternoon rehearsing for his set and, after grabbing a quick sandwich, headed into the dance studio by early evening.

"Hey, Sweetheart," his mom greeted him, with a smile. She was a small, dark-haired woman, not even as tall as her teenage son. She was dressed in a form-fitting black leotard with a jacket tied around her waist and a pair of ballet slippers. "How was your day?"

"Not bad," he shrugged. "Yours?"

"Well, it was fine… Your dad called for you again, you know," she said gently, standing up from her desk in the small studio office.

Austin shrugged again, as he tucked away his backpack and changed his shoes.

His mom sighed. "You can't ignore him forever. The school year's almost over, you'll be flying out to visit him soon."

"I'd rather not," he frowned.

"I know," she said, brushing back his blond hair and giving his forehead a quick peck. "I know you'd rather stay here, with your friends and your music. But it's only a few weeks, and, Sweetie, he's your dad. You're almost grown up, and this is time the two of you will never get back. I'd give anything to have time with my dad again."

"I know, Mom. It's fine. I just wish things were… different," Austin sighed.

"Me, too. You know, even if he doesn't say so, I know he's proud of you. He may never agree with your choices, but he loves you. I know you're not a little kid anymore, and you don't do everything just to get our approval, but we're both very proud of you," she smiled.

"Thanks, Mom. But you aren't going to start crying or anything weird, are you? Ally's going to be here soon," he chuckled.

"Are you still teaching her dance?" she asked, trying to sound less interested than she was.

"Yeah, she's getting better. I think it's helping her confidence."

"You really like this girl, don't you?" she grinned.

"Mom," he groaned. "Please don't embarrass me. We're just friends. Best friends. Partners, you know? I'm teaching her to dance so she can dance with her Prom date, who is not me. It's that dark-haired kid in your 3:30 ballroom class. Dallas."

"I believe you. But I can't promise I won't embarrass you, that's my job, after all," she gave him a warm smile as she locked up her desk and grabbed her bag. He sighed and rolled his eyes at her.

They heard the bell ring as the front door to the studio opened.

"Hey, Ally, we're back in the office," Austin called. He whispered to his mother, "Please don't embarrass me."

She whispered back, "I'll try not to."

Ally walked in, and Austin spoke before his mom had the chance to. "Ally, this is my mom, Amanda. Mom, this is Ally Dawson," he introduced them.

"Nice to finally meet you, Ally. Austin tells me you're getting ready for the Prom this weekend?" his mom smiled warmly.

"Yes, ma'am. I'm afraid I'm not a very good dancer, so Austin's been teaching me," Ally smiled back, shyly.

"Well, Austin is an excellent dance instructor, as well as dance partner, you couldn't be in better hands," his mom winked at Austin, who cringed slightly. "But your first Prom, how exciting. Have you gotten your dress and shoes yet?"

"I just picked up the dress this afternoon, it's still in my car, but I haven't had the chance to find shoes. This is my first night off work all week," Ally sighed, looking a little stressed.

"Well, I can help you with that if you want," she said. "I have a business arrangement with the store next door for dance supplies, including shoes; we get a nice discount. Let's go over there now, and find you the perfect pair for your dress."

"That's amazing, thank you!" Ally beamed.

"Uh, I'll stick around here," Austin said, as his mom and his best friend walked out of the office.

"Yes, Sweetheart… and return that phone call, would you?" she called after him.

He groaned. He wasn't sure which was worse. Having a conversation with his dad, or the fact that his mom was being left unattended with Ally.

* * *

><p>Ally was struck by how much Austin is like his mom: friendly, charming and fun to be around. Ally was also surprised by how much she enjoyed being with his mom, and how easy she was to talk to, much like Austin. Which also reminded her how her own mom wasn't around, something she tried not to think about too often.<p>

"Oh, Ally, those are beautiful. What do you think? How do they feel?" Amanda gushed.

"Good, I like them. They feel pretty comfortable, too," she said, walking back and forth in front of the mirror, examining her shoes, a pair of strappy, Latin dance shoes. The shoes were sparkly and silver, with a low 2.5" heel. "They're perfect, I'll take them."

"Oh good. Now, since you're headed back over to dance with Austin, keep those shoes on. You'll want to break them in before your big night." Ally nodded. She couldn't help but notice that Austin has his mom's eyes and her smile, but that he must otherwise look like his father, or another relative. Her face was rounder, softer, and Austin's more chiseled. Her hair was thick and dark, not unlike her own, but pulled back into a tight ballet bun.

As they walked back over to the studio, they talked hair, make-up and accessories. It had been so long since she had a grown-up to talk to about "girly" stuff, she forgot what it was like. While she spent a lot of time at Trish's house, her mom was usually preoccupied with work (a work ethic Trish decidedly did not inherit). So, she was pretty touched when Austin's mom offered to help with her accessories shopping the next day. She'd enjoyed shoe shopping so much with her, she decided to take her up on the offer.

Ally and Amanda both stopped in front of the studio window, and looked in. Through the window, they could see Austin rehearsing his new dance number to go along with the song Ally had just written last week. Amanda smiled proudly, seeing her son doing what he loved the most, a passion she herself had fostered throughout his life. She caught Ally's expression reflected in the window, and noticed it mirrored her own.

* * *

><p>Austin and Ally spent the next hour dancing to a variety of different music, until Ally's feet could take no more.<p>

"Good thing your mom mentioned breaking in the shoes. I wouldn't have thought of it," Ally said, sitting on the floor, changing back into her sneakers.

"That's what Mom's good at. She's always thinking of all of those little details that no one else does."

"She's really awesome. I wish my mom was more like yours," Ally sighed. "Or, you know, around at all."

Austin nodded. "It sucks you not having your mom around, Ally."

Ally shrugged. "Her choice. How about you? How're things with your dad?"

His expression hardened. "The usual. I'll get plenty of time with him this summer, so he can tell me what a waste of time my music and dancing is, that I'll spend my whole life playing small gigs until the only thing I have left to do is teach the next generation of wannabes."

She scowled. "That's cheerful. I mean, my dad isn't exactly excited about me making a career as a songwriter, but he's always encouraged me as a musician. Kinda have to, owning a music store and all, I guess. But I just don't get why your dad is so down on you about your dreams."

"Yeah. Well. My dad thinks I should be working harder in school, instead of wasting my time with music and dance. Going to his ivy league college, doing something boring with my life, like going to law school or something. So I can grow up to be him, I guess."

"He'll come around. He's just never seen you perform. He hasn't seen how happy it makes you," she smiled. Austin held out his hand to help her back up from the floor, and gave it a squeeze.

"Yeah, it does make me happy. It's what I love. Being up on stage, singing, dancing. Performing a hit song by Ally Dawson," he said, giving her one last twirl.

"Then that's what matters, not what anyone else thinks. Even your dad," she said, picking up her shoes and purse.

"Think you can come to Connecticut with me this summer and remind me of that?" he grinned.

She laughed. "I'll see what I can do."


	5. Chapter 5

**Chapter 5**:

The day before Prom, Ally went shopping with Austin's mom, an activity completely bewildering to Austin. He knew that Ally's mom wasn't around, but he's never probed her for information as to why. He figures it's like her thing with the stagefright; when she's ready to talk about it, she will.

He was as ready as he was going to be for Prom night himself. He'd rehearsed the new song and dance routine, bought new strings for his guitar, and picked up the tuxedo from Trish's now former employer. He would be combining the tuxedo with less formal items of clothing such as Chuck Taylors, an open tuxedo shirt revealing a band t-shirt and the chain on his wallet he's certain will make a come-back now that he's wearing one. He remembered that he was supposed to ask Trish what color corsage to buy. When she described her fluorescent colored, loudly-printed dress, he decided to go with a white one.

Ally and his mom made it back to their house just before dinner, carrying bags full of items. He shook his head in disbelief. _Girls_, he thought. He gave Ally a casual wave and headed upstairs to change into something more formal for the evening.

"I left something out for you, Ally," Austin's mom gestured at a garment bag on the sofa. "One of our competition costumes, it's your size. I figured you two should do a full dress rehearsal tonight. Austin should be upstairs changing now."

"That is really thoughtful, Amanda. Thank you. And thank you so much for going with me today. It was really great having you there to help me," she said, unzipping the bag.

"Oh, you didn't need any help at all. You have a wonderful sense of style. Besides, I'm not sure I'm much help as to what young women are wearing these days," she smiled, having a seat on the sofa as Ally pulled the dress from the garment bag.

"Well... it was more about the company. I never really had a mom to take me shopping and have girl talk with. It was really nice of you," she smiled, sadly. She had let herself fantasize, just for a moment, that she was really with her mom, each time a sales clerk mistook them for mother and daughter. It was easy to do. Although the two women did not look alike at all, they did have similar coloring.

"Well, I enjoyed it. I never had a daughter to do those things with, so it's a nice experience for me too," she patted her on the hand. "Go on, put that dress on. The guest bathroom is down the hall and to the right."

Ally went to change clothes just as Austin came downstairs and greeted his mother. "How was shopping? Leave anything behind at all?"

"Not a thing, we bought it all," she smiled, as he kissed her cheek.

He waited until he heard the click of the bathroom door and lowered his voice. "It's really nice of you to go shopping with Ally. I know she misses not having a mom to do this stuff with."

She nodded. "I imagine it's pretty tough growing up without one parent, especially the parent of the same gender."

"I guess that's a comment on me too, Mom?" he frowned.

"He just wants to be part of your life, Sweetheart."

"Then he shouldn't spend all of our time together telling me what a loser I am and trying to plan my life out for me," he said curtly, and walked out of the room to go pester Ally.

He pounded on the bathroom door. "You ready yet? Girls, sheesh. You take forever."

"Shut up!" Ally yelled back.

A few moments later, she opened the door with a sheepish expression. "I can't get this thing zipped. Can you get your mom to come help me?"

He rolled his eyes. "Just turn around, let me do it."

She sighed, and relented. He quickly zipped up the green fabric. "Done," he said, simultaneously snapping her bra through the dress.

She grunted at him. "Ow! What are you, in middle school?"

He laughed. "Practically."

Ally couldn't help but crack a smile as she shook her head. "Come on, let's do this. Where's your wig?"


	6. Chapter 6

**Chapter 6**:

Austin and Ally did a run-through of all the things Ally needed to remember to do on her date with Dallas. _Stop, breathe, think, then speak_, she recited to herself. They had a casual dinner and made small talk, and then headed back to the studio for more dancing. Ally couldn't help but notice that Austin seemed a bit tense and distracted during their dinner, and as the evening wore on, the worse he seemed. Especially once they were back at the studio, he was distracted to the point that she had noticed he was missing steps. _And if I'm noticing the missteps_, Ally thought, _there's definitely something wrong_.

Trish had decorated the studio with cheesy decorations and what she called "awkward Prom mood-lighting." They both dressed up, but not in their actual Prom night attire. Ally wore a puffy, green, tea-length sleeveless dress that was one of the studio's costumes, on loan from Austin's mother, and her new dancing shoes, while Austin wore a white dress shirt and black slacks, but no tie.

Dez had put together a playlist, and they danced off and on the rest of the evening. The playlist consisted of an eclectic mix, mostly club music and techno, but also a variety of Latin music. Towards the end of the playlist were mostly slow songs, and getting tired, Ally rested her head against Austin's shoulder as they swayed to the music. He held on to her tighter than usual, as though she was holding him up. Being a very private person herself, she was hesitant to ask him what was bothering him, particularly since Austin is normally such an open book. Just as she was about to bite the bullet and ask what was wrong, he broke the silence.

"So, I talked to my dad today," Austin said.

"Really? How'd that go?" Ally said, lifting her head up to look at him.

"Oh, you know, the usual. I'm wasting my time, my life. Mom's just enabling me to be a loser," he said. He grabbed her hands and rocked her into a backstep, letting go of her left hand and twirling her.

"You're not a loser. You're amazing. He's crazy for not seeing that," she said, as he pulled her back in.

"It gets worse. He wants me to leave Miami and stay in Connecticut with him full time," he scowled.

"What? No way. Like that'll _ever _happen," she scoffed.

"I haven't told Mom yet, but he wants me to go to this stupid prep school up where he lives. He's taking me to visit it this summer, and he's even put down a deposit," he said, dropping her hands and stopping the music.

"Uh, _no_! I forbid it!" Ally exclaimed, furious.

The outrage and stubborn determination on her face broke through his bad mood and made him smile. "You do?"

"I'll tell him myself if I have to! You are _not_ _going_!" she said, indignantly.

He laughed, and pulled her into a tight hug. "Ally Dawson, I love you."

Once he said it, he immediately stammered, "Oh, uh, I mean, not like that, you know…"

Ally laughed, shaking her head, "I know, Austin, it's okay. I love you, too. Just, you know, not like that."

"Right," he said, running a hand through his hair. "Thanks for cheering me up."

"I wish I could do more," she said. "I wish I could show your dad just how amazing you are, that your dreams aren't a waste of time. If anyone can do this, it's you. It's us."

"He won't be convinced until I have a Grammy in my hands. And even then, he'll probably just shrug and say, 'Only one?'" he smirked. "But it's okay, it doesn't matter. I don't need his approval. I just need him to not interfere."

"Well, don't worry about him. Your mom would never agree to let you go up there anyway, probably even if you wanted to. You are so lucky, you know. Your mom is awesome. And she loves you so much, she is so proud of you," Ally said, reassuringly.

Disregarding their evening wear, they took a seat on the floor and leaned against the cool glass of the mirror.

"I know. She's the reason I even have these dreams. She was this really awesome ballerina when she was not much older than us. That's how she met my dad, in New York, at some fine arts charity thing. When she had me, she stopped dancing. When they broke up, she moved us out here so we could be closer to my grandmother, and she worked as a dance instructor. Eventually, she saved enough that she opened her own studio. She even bought this building last year. She always made sure I had lessons in whatever I wanted: piano, guitar, drums. You name it, I've learned it," he reached up and grabbed the ballet barre above their heads.

"You know, I think in a way she regrets us leaving New York, because she left her career when she had me, and she could've gone back, but she didn't. My dad didn't want her to go back, and then he was taking this job in Hong Kong for awhile, so that's about when things fell apart and we left. But she's done great things here. She does these Latin dance competitions instead, and she's done really well. Gives her enough publicity that people flock to the studio so she can teach them."

"Sounds like you're really proud of her, too," Ally said.

"Yeah, I am. She knows that. We're pretty close. She isn't like most parents, I guess. Maybe it's because she's younger than most other parents of kids our age. She really tries to see where I'm coming from, and understand me. She's cool… most of the time," he grinned. "On occasion, she goes out of her way to embarrass me."

Ally chuckled, "I know the feeling; you've met my dad. So, how old were you when your parents split up?"

"About 5. I barely remember being up there with both of them. Since then, I've spent summers, occasional weekends and most holidays with my dad. We used to get along okay. But the past couple years, when I've told him I was really serious about music, and I wanted to make it my career, he's really been hard on me. I mean, I think he means well. He loves me, I know. Wants me to have a good life. But his ideas of a good life are totally different than mine. Okay, so what if I don't make it huge in the music business? What if I just scrape by doing local gigs my entire career? What if I end up teaching like Mom? Isn't that okay too? Performing is what I love to do, and while it would be awesome to be this big superstar, if I'm not, then I'm not. I'm just me, doing what I do," he shrugged. "I don't do it because I want to be famous, I do it because I love it."

"Being famous is the last thing I want, you know that, but I love it too. I just want to be successful at it. Since we started working together, I feel that I have been. I mean, my song got played on the Helen Show, the Internet Music Awards, and on the local radio. That's amazing. And there's no way that would have happened if you didn't take the song off the page and turn it into music," she said, giving him a bright smile.

"I wish my dad could see me play your songs. Maybe then he'd see why I want this so bad," Austin frowned.

That gave Ally an idea that she filed away.

"Well, don't worry. I'm not going to let you leave Miami. Not yet, anyway." She stifled a yawn. "Sorry, I'm fading. I think I'm about as prepared as I'm going to be for tomorrow anyway," she said, stretching, getting up off the floor to leave. "Austin, seriously, thank you so much for this. I feel a thousand times better, and maybe I won't completely humiliate myself tomorrow," she sighed.

"You'll be great. Dallas will fall madly in love with you the minute he dances with you," Austin grinned.

Ally laughed. "I don't know if I can handle that. I haven't even had a real boyfriend before. Not unless you count trying, and failing, to kiss Tommy Seaver in the 9th grade."

"Failing? Did you miss?" he asked, bemused.

"I wish. He cut his lip on my braces. It was pretty much the beginning and the end of our relationship," she groaned.

"Ouch!" he cringed. "So, that's it? No other guys?"

"My first, and only kiss," she sighed. Then the color drained from her face, "Oh no, do you think Dallas is going to try to kiss me? What if he does? Oh, but what if he doesn't?" she said, feeling the panic rise in her chest again. She instinctively grabbed a strand of hair that had come loose and tucked it into her mouth.

Austin gently pulled the hair from her mouth and smoothed it back down. "Okay, breathe through it, Ally. It's okay. It depends on what signals you're giving off. If you aren't ready, he probably won't try."

She blinked, uncomprehending. "Signals? I don't know if I'm ready. I don't think I'm ready. Okay, but what if I am? Ready, I mean?"

"Then... Okay, I can't really explain it, come on," he said, pulling her to the studio door. "So, okay, the evening's over, he's walking you to your door. You're standing on your front porch. Do you quickly say good-night and turn to open the door, or do you linger, expecting something more to happen?"

"Um, it would be rude to just turn and walk in without saying good-bye, so I would linger?"

"Okay, then you're giving off signals. You want to 'say good-bye,' so what is that 'good-bye' made of?" He takes a moment to consider, then continues. "Ah, I know. Remember when I took you home after our first fake date? I walked you to your door then."

Ally stammered, "I was _not_ giving off signals then."

"Oh, but you _were_. Not that you wanted to kiss me, but that you didn't want to part ways just yet. That's something else entirely. But _I_ know you didn't want me to kiss you. However, Dallas doesn't know that. He'll see, you, lingering. He'll think, yeah, I'm supposed to kiss her."

"Really? So then, he'll try to kiss me if I don't get into my house fast enough?" she said, looking horrified.

"Not exactly. I mean, he might chicken out, or he might not think you really want to kiss him," he frowns. "Okay, here's what you do. If you aren't ready, you give him the kiss on the cheek. Make it obvious so he doesn't mistake it for you going for a real kiss. That's always awkward. Anyway. You can do the hugging and talking thing, then do the quick peck on the cheek. It's a friendly gesture, but it isn't rejecting him. It leaves the door open for next time. If you don't want there to be a next time, wave good-night and quickly head inside and delete his number from your phone."

"Okay. And if I wanted to kiss him...?" she said, cringing.

He frowned at her for a moment. "Okay, stand right here," he said, positioning her. "Relax your shoulders. Chin down. Look up at me with those innocent doe eyes. Good. Now, a little less innocent, let your eyes flicker between my lips back up to my eyes. Lick your lower lip. There you go. Perfect."

"How do you know all this? Exactly how many girls are you going around kissing?" she asked, skeptically.

He scoffed. "I'm Austin Moon. Also, I watch a lot of movies. And... Dez subscribes to Cosmo. Just... don't ask. Anyway. Think you can handle it?"

"No, I think I'll die of embarrassment," she groaned.

He laughed. "You'll be fine. Let's give it a run-through."

"What?" she said, crinkling her nose at him.

"Trust me," he said, taking her arm and leading her a few steps away.

"So, Ally, I had a really great time tonight," he said, slipping into his Dallas impression, and walking with her back to the door.

"Thanks, Aus-, uh, I mean, _Dallas_. It was so awesome of you to take me to Prom, and the limo and everything. It was amazing," she smiled, remembering her breathing.

"You think we could do this again sometime, I mean, go out again? Less formal next time though," he grinned.

"Yeah, I'd like that," she smiled. She ran through the steps in her mind. _Relax. Chin down. Eyes up to his. Look at his lips. Back up to his eyes. Why is he looking at me like that? Bite my lip. No, wait. Lick my lips. _

Austin gently pushed a loose strand of hair behind her left ear and let his gaze drop to her lips. He slowly closed the distance between them, using the hand still in her hair to guide her to him, and she felt his breath on her mouth. Her eyes fluttered shut automatically as her breathing stopped completely, and she tilted her chin upwards in response. But his lips never made contact. When she felt him pull away and clear his throat, she was finally able to exhale.

Her eyes opened back up and struggled to focus. He was gazing at her intensely. For a moment, he almost looked - conflicted. Then the look was gone.

"There," he whispered, as a slow smile crept across his face. "You did perfect."

"Thank you," she said, blushing.

"C'mon, I'll walk you out for real this time," he grinned. She noticed he was a little pink himself.

* * *

><p>Ally was still a little shaky on the drive home from the studio. Did she want Austin to kiss her? Did he want to kiss her? Was that a flicker of disappointment in his eyes that he hadn't? Was she disappointed as well? Of course, she knew exactly where he stood on their relationship, they'd been over that before; there was no need to dissect it any further. He was not interested in her beyond friendship, beyond a professional relationship. But from what she'd read in Cosmo, it was perfectly natural to feel attracted to him. That moment of anticipation was just human nature, nothing more. <em>He is attractive, and it's natural<em>, she thought. _It doesn't mean anything_.

Dallas is the one she likes, with his dark hair and olive skin. She smiled just thinking of him. And, thanks to her friends, she was finally going out with him. And, thanks to Austin, she thought she may actually get through the evening without making a complete fool of herself. She may even have a wonderful evening. Her junior prom. She was thrilled beyond belief.

But kiss Dallas? She had no idea. She wondered if, when the time comes, she'll feel that same spark, the one she felt being a breath away from kissing Austin.

* * *

><p><em>What was that?<em> Austin thought, laying in bed, his iPod resting on his chest. _What was I thinking?_ _I wanted to kiss her, _he admitted to himself. He's conflicted. He has no reason to kiss her other than she's pretty, and she's sweet, and he loves her... but not in that way. No, there are many more reasons _not_ to kiss her, and ultimately, those reasons won out, restrained him from making a huge mistake he couldn't take back. He could have done it anyway; he was so close, and in that moment, he very much wanted to. But it would have ruined everything. One weak moment, and their friendship would be wrecked. No more working together. No more hanging out together. _She likes Dallas. She tolerates me. No,_ he thinks_, she likes me. And she trusts me. And I almost messed all of that up by kissing her_.

He exhaled. It was a momentary thing, and the moment has passed. She'll be dating Dallas after tomorrow, he's certain of it. He searched himself for any jealousy but found none. He's genuinely happy for her. And he's sure he'll eventually stop thinking about what her lips would have felt like pressed against his. He turned up the volume on his iPod to drown out any more thoughts and drifted off to sleep.


	7. Chapter 7

**Author's note: ****Thank you, lovelies, for reading and commenting! Prom is coming, I promise!**

Chapter 7:

"Austin! Breakfast!" he heard his mom yell from downstairs.

He groaned as he looked at the clock and pulled the pillow over his head to drown out the world. He hadn't slept very well last night. It didn't take him long to remember why.

"Austin!" his mother yelled again.

"Ermph," he replied into the pillow.

Finally, he dragged himself out of bed and into the bathroom. A few minutes later, he padded down the stairs in bare feet and no shirt, where he bumped right into Ally. He jumped back as though his flesh burned, as she'd put her hands up to his chest to stop him from falling on her.

"Sorry, Ally, I didn't see you there," he said, embarrassed, taking a few steps back. He ran his hand through his messy blond hair and turned quickly to the cupboard to get a coffee mug. He willed himself to stop acting jittering, as he poured the coffee.

"Morning, Sleeping Beauty," his mom smiled, handing him a plate and giving him a knowing look. _Why does she always have to be so perceptive_, he wonders. "Ally and I have already eaten, and we're headed out to get her nails done and get massages, then we're meeting Trish and her mom to do hair and make-up."

"Sounds riveting, sorry I'm missing it," he said, rolling his eyes, and taking a bite of the bacon.

"Please. Look at these locks, Ally," Amanda said, holding up a strand of her dark hair. Then she grabbed a tuft full of Austin's blond hair, "Now, look at these. Austin is no stranger to the salon."

"Mom!" he groaned.

Ally chuckled, "She isn't telling me anything I didn't already know. It's too well-done to be out of a box."

"The rest of his beauty regimen is done from home though. He has quite the collection of skin products," his mom said, grabbing her keys and purse from the counter.

"That's great, Mom. Have you pulled out the photo album and showed her all my naked baby photos yet, or are you saving that for a special occasion?" he glared at her over his coffee mug.

"Today is a special occasion. Your junior prom! Love you, Sweetie," she smiled, kissing him on the cheek.

As she and Ally walked out the door to the garage, she called behind her, "So, the plan is, we'll be back to pick you up at 4:00, then I'll be dropping you both off at Dallas's house. If you need any help with your bow tie, let me know."

"I'm not wearing it…" he called after her.

"Yes, you are! There's lunch meat in the fridge and a new loaf of bread in the pantry. Call if you need me," she said, closing the door behind her.

He exhaled and laid his head in his arms across the kitchen counter. _I need to get a grip on myself_, he thought.

* * *

><p>"So what time is he coming in?" Ally asked Amanda, as they pulled out of the garage.<p>

"His flight arrives at 5:00. I'm going to pick him up from the airport after I leave you and Austin at Dallas's house. That will give us a chance to talk before the prom tonight," she replied.

"I hope everything works out. I really hope Austin isn't mad at me for interfering." Ally looked out the window, frowning.

Amanda patted her on the hand. "Oh, honey, I'm just glad you told me what was going on before things got any worse. I knew something was up with him yesterday after he talked to his dad. Austin has a way of bottling this stuff up, and just avoiding it. He's his father's son in that way. Anyway, Jeffrey has a point that the preparatory school is a good opportunity for Austin, but the choice isn't his to make. He needs to respect our son's wishes. Ultimately, I have custody, and I hate to play that card, but I will if I have to. But maybe we can diffuse the situation tonight and mend some fences."

Ally just hoped it wasn't going to make things worse instead. _Kind of like being in Austin's kitchen the morning after almost kissing him and having him come in half-naked, with that tousled bed hair that makes him look adorable_. Did she really just think that? She feels a blush creep up her cheeks and quickly puts those thoughts away.

Ally and Austin's mom spend the rest of the day together, working on beauty treatments. They get manicures and pedicures and Ally gets her first massage and facial treatment. They have lunch at the spa, and afterwards, meet Trish and her mom over at the hair salon. Ally feels almost like a normal teenage girl, there with Austin's mom. She finds herself wishing several times that Amanda was her mom. _Having Austin for a brother would be an added bonus_, she thinks. "Brother" is a safe way to think about him. _Frater meus_, as she learned in Latin class. _Yes, that is much better. That will take care of any other thoughts about kissing Austin. Or Austin shirtless. Oh great, there I go again._

The moms chat pleasantly together as the girls get their hair done. Trish opts for a mess of curls piled on top of her head. Her make-up is dramatic and daring. Ally opts for a softer look. Her hair is made into soft waves, pinned back and swept over her right shoulder. Her eye make-up is dark, but her lipstick a pale pink gloss to match her nail color.

They get back to Amanda's house just before 4, as promised. Amanda takes Ally back to the downstairs guest room and helps her into her dress. It is even more stunning than she remembers. It is a soft yellow, with intricate patterns beaded with crystal sequins throughout the floor-length gown. It sparkles as she moves, the shoulder drape floating behind her. Her hair lays across her bare shoulder, balanced by the crystal accents from the one-shoulder gown on the opposite side. It is form-fitting and hugs her curves. For the first time, as she looks into the floor-length mirror, she doesn't see an awkward girl, one with a funky sense of style and bad posture. She stands up a little straighter and sees a confident young woman, one who looks radiant.

"Ally, you look simply stunning," Amanda smiled. "Come on, I just heard Austin come down the stairs, let's see what he thinks."

* * *

><p><strong>Final note:<strong>

**If anyone's interested, "Ally's dress" can be found here, except hers is yellow:**

**/evenings/evening-dresses/TBE11253/**


	8. Chapter 8

**Just a really short one... so, what's the consensus, audience? Should this turn out to be an Ally/Dallas pairing or an Ally/Austin pairing? How do you think prom night should end? (PG rated, of course!) **

Chapter 8:

"Austin!" his mom called as they walked out into the living room, "Are you ready to go?"

"Yeah, but there is no way I'm putting on this stupid tie," he complained, holding out the bowtie, "I look really… whoa, Ally, really hot," he stopped, as he took in the sight of the petite brunette in front of him in her shimmering yellow gown.

Ally felt her cheeks flush at the compliment, and laughed.

"Seriously, Alls, you look great. Dallas will be tripping over himself," he grinned, taking her hand and giving her a twirl, and then pulling her back close, swaying to some music in his head.

"Thanks, Austin. Hopefully he's doing the tripping and not me for once," she said, cringing.

"Ally, you'll be fine," he said softly, smiling. "He's the one who'll be a nervous wreck."

"Okay, come on, let me do the mom thing and get some pictures of you before we go," his mom interrupted, pulling out her camera.

Obligingly, Austin slipped his arm around Ally's waist and they posed for several photos.

"We'd better get going, Mom. Can't keep our dates waiting," Austin said, grabbing his guitar case.

"I'll grab Trish's corsage and Dallas's boutonniere out of the fridge," Ally said, as his mom walked out into the garage.

Austin stayed behind to wait for her. "You ready for this?" he asked.

"Not really, but it's happening anyway. Thank you again, for everything. You are an amazing friend, and I am so lucky to have you," she said, giving him a hug.

"I'm trying, Ally," he said, shrugging. "I know I haven't always been very thoughtful. I mean, didn't we start out by me accidentally stealing your song?"

"I think we've come a long way this past year," she said. "I think, I hope, we've both changed for the better."

"I definitely think so," he agreed.

"Oh, and by the way, the tie makes you look kinda stupid. You're much cooler without it," she grinned.

"I know, right?" He laughed, closing the garage door behind them.


	9. Chapter 9

Chapter 9:

"You aren't nervous are you?" Austin asked, leaning forward as far as the seatbelt would allow. Ally looked back at him over her shoulder.

"No," she squeaked. She cleared her throat. "Okay, yes."

"It'll be fine, Ally. Dallas is the one who should be nervous…" he said, catching his mom's eye in the rearview mirror and winked at her. She smiled at him in return.

They pulled into the driveway at Dallas's house and noted the limo was already parked out front.

Trish and her mom were the first to arrive, even though Trish usually prefers to be fashionably late so she can make a grand entrance, proving Trish is a spectacular friend. Even with Austin and his mom there, Ally had begged Trish to get there on time, so that there would be more of a calming presence. Also, she thought it would be awkward to arrive for a date with one guy, with another guy in tow, and it just be the three of them. Considering all the pseudo-dates and the almost-kiss, she couldn't handle any more awkwardness to go along with all the awkward she already brings to the table on her own.

Austin did the gentlemanly thing and opened the car door for Ally, helping her out of the car so her dress wouldn't drag the ground. He caught his mom's eye and took a few steps back, letting Ally walk to the door by herself. He offered his arm to his mom and she smiled at him as she took it.

"You look so handsome, Sweetie," she said, smoothing down his tuxedo jacket.

"Thanks, Mom," he said, giving her hand a squeeze. "You're not gonna cry or anything weird, are you?"

She rolled her eyes at him as Ally rang the doorbell.

Dallas answered the door a moment later.

"Ally, wow… you look, just… wow," Dallas sputtered.

Ally smiled brightly at him, blushing slightly. She remembered to take a deep breath and replied, "Thanks. You look really nice."

"Hey, Dallas, how's it going?" Austin piped up, when Dallas stood in the doorway, staring at Ally, not moving. His voice seemed to bring the dark-haired boy back to Earth and he invited them in.

"Hey, Austin!" Trish greeted him, then twirling around in her loud, flowing gown. "What do you think?"

"Gorgeous, as always, Trish," he grinned. "Let's put on your flower."

Trish held her wrist out, obligingly. She winked at him and motioned with her head to Ally nervously pinning the boutonniere onto Dallas's tuxedo jacket. Austin chuckled softly.

A few whirlwind moments later, and they're all smiling for the cameras held by their doting parents. Ally's dad managed to get another mall shop owner to watch the store for a little while so he could come see his little girl off to the Prom, and meet Dallas's parents. Ally made a point of introducing him to Amanda as well. The thought had occurred to her that it would be really awesome if her dad and Austin's mom fell in love and got married. Then she'd have the best step mom ever. But at the same time the idea struck her as extremely weird too, so she decided she wouldn't bring it up.

They were beginning to worry about Dez, who hadn't shown up yet. Austin had texted him several times without any response. Just as they were about to go ahead and leave for the restaurant, the doorbell rang. A moment later, Dez walked in with…

"Mindy?" Ally exclaimed. "You're Dez's date?"

Austin had to turn away and cover his mouth to stop laughing. He knew Dez had been out on a few dates with Mindy lately, which he had loudly protested and yet conceded anyway. But Prom? It was simply too much.

"Of course, I'm Dez's date!" the robust blonde scowled. "Do you think my man would be taking someone other than me to Prom?"

"Her man?" Trish mouthed to Austin, as they shared a silent snicker.

Dez just smiled uncomfortably in his white tuxedo. Mindy was decked out in a long sparkling emerald green dress and wearing a rather gaudy tiara on top of her large hairdo. Her make-up was as loud as she was.

"Well, uh, Mindy, it's good to have you along," Ally offered. "You already know Trish and Austin. This is Dallas," she said, gesturing to her date.

Mindy looked him over and leaned in to Ally conspiratorially, lowering her voice, but still loud enough for the entire room to hear. "Wow, he's hot. Trish did well. I didn't think Trish could actually get a date."

"Oh, actually, Dallas is my date," Ally quickly clarified, before Trish blew a gasket.

"Really? I thought you and Blondie over here were the item," she said, gesturing at Austin with her thumb.

"No, no, I belong to Trish," Austin winked at Trish, and offered her his arm. "You ready, Hot Prom Date?"

"Absolutely, Arm Candy. Let's get this party started," she said, grabbing hold and leading him out the door. Once out the door, Trish whispered to him, grinning wickedly, "I am going to rip that troll's face off before the night is done."

"Looking forward to it," he grinned back at her.


	10. Chapter 10

Chapter 10:

"I apologize for the delay, Amanda, there was a problem with my luggage," Jeffrey Moon said, closing the car door after climbing in.

"It's not a problem, we still have plenty of time before the prom starts. How was your flight?" she asked cordially.

It was always like this between them, a cold politeness between two people who'd once had a passionate affair. It had been 17 years since they'd met; she'd been 18 years old. He was older, handsome and successful, even at age 25. She was fresh out of high school, an up-and-coming dancer and new to Manhattan's social circles. Even now, when she sees him, she can't help but feel 18 again. Shy, naïve. She has to shake herself to remember that she's a grown woman, the mother of an almost-grown man, and a successful dancer and businesswoman. A quick glance into the mirror above reaffirmed this for her.

She pulled into a nearby café so they could have dinner and discuss their son and his future. They contrast one another in both appearance and nature: Jeffrey in an expensive tailored suit and Amanda in a long crocheted dress and sandals. Austin favors his father in appearance, but his worldview is more his mother's. Amanda believes, however, Austin is more like his father than he realizes.

After they ordered, Amanda started the conversation, "Let's cut to the chase here. Austin's incredibly upset, I think you know that."

He frowned at her. "I know he's upset, but he's got to understand…"

"Jeff," she interrupted, "He's got to make this decision on his own. He cannot feel you are making the decision for him, especially out of some sense that you don't believe in him, or support his dreams. The thing he needs more than anything is to feel that his father supports him."

"I do support him, Amanda. I am trying to secure him a better future," he said, taking a sip of his coffee.

"But it may be a future he doesn't want. Look, I know we don't agree on this, but the reality is, he's almost an adult. He's almost 17, he'll be a senior in high school this fall. We need to realize that the decision just isn't entirely ours to make now."

"By we, you mean me," he sighed.

"Both of us," she emphasized. "Look, if Austin wants to go to the prep school, then I'm not going to stop him and I won't fight you on it. Will it be hard on me for him to leave a year sooner? Of course. But if it's what he wants, I'm not going to object."

"You only say that because you know he won't even consider it. He's too attached to you, and to Miami. He always has been," he accused.

She nodded. "And to his friends, probably much more so than to me. But if he wants to be a performer, he knows he'll have to leave, sooner rather than later. You're just a train-ride away from the city. It would be better for him to go with you."

"He'll never want to leave now that he's got this girlfriend," he shook his head.

"She's not his girlfriend. Not yet, anyway. They write music together. The songs he performs, she writes them. She's quite talented."

"So Austin tells me. The girl…"

"Ally," she offered.

"Ally," he recites. "This was all her idea?"

She smiled sadly. "Yes, but I'm afraid she thinks this trip here will convince you to drop the idea of the prep school and of Austin moving in with you."

"So, then why did you invite me down here at her request?" he looked at her questioningly.

She gazed at him with a detached coolness and responded evenly, "In order that you and our son might reach an agreement. Keep in mind, Jeffrey, that he is still a minor and I still have primary custody. With only one year left as a minor, and no showing of the move being in his best interests, the judge would never order a modification of timesharing. Not to mention, we would be caught up in litigation over it for the better part of the year anyway. The reality is, we may have joint custody, but this is my decision, not yours. And I've decided that Austin can go - only if he wants to."

"Sounds like someone met with her lawyer," he mumbled.

Her eyes darkened. "You're right; I did. After all these years with you, of course, I did. And no matter how much money you throw at this, it isn't going to help you get what you want. Look, I don't disagree with you here. It probably would be best for him to go. And you have the opportunity to persuade him this summer. So, I suggest, if you really want to convince him, that you start taking an interest in the things our son cares about, and find out, together, whether the school is a good fit for him and, if it isn't, how you can otherwise support our son in his goals."

He smiled at her. "I'll concede. You're right. I will take a different approach with him. I'll watch him perform tonight, and at the end of summer, if he isn't convinced to move to Connecticut, then I'll stop pressuring him, and I will find some way to help him do what he wants to do, even if it's his unrealistic ideas about the music industry."

She smiled at him. "Thank you. I'm glad we can agree. He loves you, you know. He just wants you to be proud of him."

"I am proud of him," he nodded.

"I tell him that, but he doesn't believe me. He needs to hear it from you," she said.

"I know. So, this girl… Ally. She's not his girlfriend?"

* * *

><p>The limo ride to the restaurant is awkward, at best; however, Ally is relieved to find the source of the awkwardness, for once, isn't her. Austin, Ally, Trish and Dallas can do nothing more than try not to stare at the sight of Mindy shamelessly groping Dez.<p>

After exchanging a horrified glance with Trish, Austin clears his throat, "So, Mindy, I guess you and Dez have been seeing a lot of each other lately…"

"We sure have. Dez can't get enough of me, can you?" Mindy laughs throatily. Dez can only smile helplessly, before Mindy presses her lips to his again.

"Well, good talk, Mindy," Austin muttered. "Uh, Dallas, how's the new job coming?"

"Great. It's a lot better than the cell phone kiosk. The library's nice and quiet, and I get a lot more homework done while I'm there, and get paid."

"Oh, that's really nice. I wish I could get more homework done at the store, but I never seem to get enough done. I'm always having to stay up late doing homework after we close," Ally said.

"That's probably because if you aren't with customers, I'm always there bugging you for a new song," Austin grinned.

"That's true. Or Dez is, I don't know, getting a bologna sandwich stuck in a trombone, and I have to spend two hours cleaning it out," Ally replied.

"Mrrmrph," Dez replied, still smothered by Mindy.

"Can he breathe?" Dallas asked them quietly.

"He isn't blue, so I guess he's still alive," Trish replied unhappily.

"Well, I'm looking forward to the restaurant," Ally offered. "I heard they have amazing lobster bisque. My dad's been raving about it."

"Yeah, my mom loves this place too," Austin replied.

"I've lost my appetite," Trish said, shaking her head. She was the first out of the limo as it came to a stop in front of the restaurant.


	11. Chapter 11

Chapter 11:

Ally thought it was lucky that the restaurant was so loud, with a local band playing. It left little room for awkward conversation. Of course, that also meant enduring Dez and Mindy's public displays of affection. She also couldn't help but notice that Trish looked particularly miserable. She could tell that Austin was trying to cheer her up, but she didn't seem very happy.

Ally, on the other hand, was doing well making small talk with Dallas. She took Austin's mom's advice and, whenever she started to feel nervous, she would ask him questions about himself. As a result, she was learning a lot about him. He liked playing soccer, which she knew absolutely nothing about. She always thought it was pretty boring. Maybe she should give it another try, since Dallas likes it so much. Even so, she's pretty sure she won't find it very interesting. Throughout the evening, she found she didn't find much at all about Dallas very interesting. She shakes off the disappointment, however; so what if they don't have a lot in common? She didn't think she had a lot in common with Austin, either, but they've gotten to be very good friends. _Opposites obviously attract, right? Wait, did I just admit to being attracted to Austin?_ she mentally shakes herself onto another train of thought.

Austin doesn't think he's particularly well-versed in relationship stuff, and girls are usually a pretty big mystery to him, but he's pretty sure Trish is jealous watching Dez and Mindy, a realization that completely baffles him. His own reaction to them is feeling nauseous, but mostly because Mindy just licked salad dressing off of Dez's lips, causing him to gag a little. He really hopes that isn't normal for a relationship, because there is no way he could handle that. On the other hand, Ally seems to be having a good time with Dallas, although he does notice she seems a little bored at times. He's definitely bored himself; between trying to eat food while sitting across from Dez and Mindy, and trying to make conversation with his own date who is too distracted with being furious with jealousy, he isn't having a great time. No matter, he thinks. Once the Prom starts, and he's up on stage, things will feel right again.

Finally, when it's time to leave for the Prom, both Austin and Ally breathe a sigh of relief. They exchange a knowing glance: this hasn't been the magical evening they both expected. Well, not for them at least; Dez and Mindy appear to be on cloud nine.

Austin glances down and notices that Dallas is holding Ally's hand. He feels a twinge of something he fears may be jealousy, but swallows it down quickly. _We aren't even going there_, he thinks. _Better get used to the idea of them as a couple, because that's what they are._

He catches Ally's eye, and notices she's blushing, and looks conflicted. He can't even begin to interpret that. _Girls are such a mystery._


	12. Chapter 12

Chapter 12:

Trish was grateful for the distraction as she helped Austin set up at the Prom. She couldn't stand to be in Mindy's presence for another moment. What a horrible, obnoxious girl. With her loud dress, even louder hair. Her bossy attitude, her… her… slobbering all over Dez. How disgusting can a person be? Poor Dez. Obviously seduced by that harpy.

She pushed aside the rest of her thoughts to focus on helping Austin. Austin noted to himself that there must be something seriously wrong with Trish, because she is firmly opposed to manual labor of any kind, and she had been hauling in equipment from the truck without even being asked to help. He finally shoos her away from the equipment when her dress gets snagged. She doesn't seem to even care about her dress. Definitely there's a problem.

Austin and the other musicians do sound tests. It's still a little bit before Prom. Dez and Mindy are sitting at one of the tables and… he just can't even look in that direction, he's so disturbed. Ally and Dallas are sitting at another table on the opposite side of the ballroom (a smart choice, he thinks), and they seem to be having a lively discussion. He looks over at Trish, who's staring daggers into Mindy, and he's glad he isn't feeling the same jealousy she is obviously exhibiting. He decided to be happy for Ally and Dallas, not jealous at all.

"It's not a love song…" he tests into the mike, strumming his guitar. Not for him, he thinks. Not for Trish.

* * *

><p>An hour later, their classmates begin arriving and it's a whirlwind of vibrant colors of satin and tulle and the occasional velvet.<p>

Austin is just about to step on stage when a hand pats him on the back and says, "Good luck, Son."

Shocked, he turns around. "Dad? What are you doing here?"

"I came to see you perform. And chaperone the Prom," his dad smiled at him.

Before he could respond, he's introduced to the crowd. He only has time to give his dad a quick hug before running on stage.

Austin performs a full set, and his classmates are extremely supportive. Occasionally, he looks over at his dad, who for once, actually looks like he's enjoying himself. Maybe this prom night won't turn out so bad after all.


	13. Chapter 13

Chapter 13

"Before my last song, I wanted to give a shout out to my Dad, who's in the audience. He's also one of our chaperones for the Prom, so watch out! Seriously, Dad, it really means a lot that you're here tonight, that you came all this way to support me." Austin cleared his throat and continued. "This is a new dance remix we've done of one of our earlier songs, 'A Billion Hits.' Thanks for letting me play here tonight. All right, let's do this."

While Austin finished up his last song, Ally walked over to his dad and introduced herself.

"Hi, I'm Ally Dawson, Austin's friend," she smiled brightly, extending her hand.

He took it and returned her smile. "Jeffrey Moon, nice to finally meet you, Ally. I'm guessing you wrote this song?"

She nodded as the song came to a close and waited until the applause died down to respond. "Yes, I wrote it, although I didn't have anything to do with the remix, that was all Austin. We're more of a team. I come up with most of the melodies and lyrics, but it's Austin who really brings the songs to life. He has great instincts about music and dance."

"But I couldn't do any of it without Ally," Austin said, wrapping his arm around her waist. "She's being much too modest. She writes amazing songs."

"I have to agree, Ally, the songs are impressive," his dad said, nodding. "So was the performance, Son. I'm very proud of you."

Austin beamed at the compliment, and Ally smiled happily at his accomplishment: he had finally gotten his father's approval.

"Well, you don't need the old man lurking around. Why don't you and your lovely girlfriend go have fun?" he teased.

Austin stammered awkwardly, flushed. "Oh, uh, Ally's not my girlfriend, she's just…"

"Just a friend," Ally finished. "But we should go enjoy the prom… after we get you hydrated, of course. Thanks for coming, Mr. Moon. It's so nice to meet you." Ally said, tugging on Austin's arm as she lead him away. _Since when is he the socially awkward one?_

"Are you okay?" Ally asked him, as she handed him a water bottle.

"Yeah, just a little overwhelmed. My dad is actually proud of me. I did it. I made him proud," he smiled.

"Of course, you did!" she laughed. "How could you not?"

"Not without you, Ally," he smiled down at her, brushing back a loose strand of hair behind her left ear. The smile left his face as he remembered the last time he did that, and how badly he wanted to kiss her at this moment. He immediately dropped his hand as though her hair had burned his hand.

"Austin? What's wrong?" Ally asked, concerned.

He shook himself. "Sorry, just a little light-headed. It's burning up in here. I'm gonna drink some water and get some fresh air. Uh, why don't you find Dallas and I'll see you guys on the dance floor?"

"Yeah, okay," she nodded. "Take it easy, okay?"

"I'm fine, I promise," he smiled wearily, as he chugged the water from the bottle and walked out the door.

Outside, the spring breeze was still warm, but cooler than inside had been. He sighed with relief. _What is wrong with me?_ he scolds himself. _Didn't we already figure out that anything with Ally beyond friendship is a terrible idea?_ Not to mention, she's with Dallas, or at least will be by the end of the night. _He'll know what her lips taste like_, he thinks, and feels what he'd feared all along, that swell of jealousy in his throat.

He was so lost in his thoughts, he almost missed the sight of his own date sitting on the curb.

"Trish? What're you doing out here?" Austin asked, surprised by her presence.

She looked up in surprise, and quickly wiped her cheeks. "Nothing, it's just really hot in there."

"Yeah," he said slowly. "I came out here to cool down myself."

She nodded, looking back towards the parking lot.

"Sorry I haven't been the best date, so far, being on stage this whole time. You want to go back in and dance?" he asked.

"Maybe in a little while," she said flatly.

"Trish, can I ask you something?" he ventured, sitting next to her on the curb.

She just shrugged in reply.

He hesitated. _She's probably going to hit me._ "Am I completely out of my mind for thinking you actually like Dez?"

She turned to him in shock.

"Like DEZ? Are you crazy?" she turned to him, staring open-mouthed at him in horror.

Encouraged by the lack of violence, he pressed, "So, you aren't jealous of him and Mindy?"

"No! Of course not," she stammered, flushing.

He nodded. "Because you seem pretty upset, and you've been staring daggers into Mindy all night."

"I… just hate her, that's all."

"Well, no one really likes her, but I think it's more than that." _I really hope she doesn't kill me._

"_Dez_ obviously likes her," she scowled.

"And that bothers you?" he asked, gently.

"Well, he's an idiot, but he's still my friend," she said, weakly.

Austin nodded. "And maybe you figured out he might be more than that?"

Trish was silent, which for her, was pretty unusual.

He patted her on the back lightly. "It's okay, Trish. I mean, if you have feelings for him…"

She snapped back to herself and shot back heatedly, "I don't even know how to begin to process that statement. And even if that were true, which it's not, he's obviously into Mindy and not me."

Austin sighed. "Yeah, but who's to say he wouldn't be into you if he knew how you felt?"

She glared at him with fire in her eyes. "So you'll be marching in there and telling Ally exactly how into her you are?"

Austin sat shocked for a moment and then laughed. "Are you kidding? First, I am not 'into' Ally. Second, even if I were, I would not sabotage our friendship and our partnership for a doomed high school relationship."

She snorted. "Really? Then why do you keep looking at her with sad eyes like she's some puppy dog that your mom won't let you take home?"

"That's a terrible analogy," he frowned.

"It's true. I'm just ripping off the band-aid here. The truth hurts, Austin."

"Your brand of truth hurts, Trish," he scowled. "Okay, so yeah, I may have some feelings for Ally to sort out, but regardless of what those feelings actually are, I'm not going to act on them. She's the best thing that's happened to me, I'm not going to screw that up."

She caught his gaze and asked pointedly, "What if you screw it up by not acting on your feelings? Ever think of that?"

He opened his mouth to respond and closed it again. He hadn't.


	14. Chapter 14

**Chapter 14**

"Hey, what're you guys doing out here?" Dez popped up suddenly.

"Just getting some air. Looks like you're doing the same. I see you got Mindy off of your face," Austin said snidely.

"Yeah, I was starting to suffocate," he grumbled, sitting down beside Austin on the curb.

"Then maybe you should get rid of her," Trish snapped, walking back inside the building.

"What is with her? She is even more mean than usual," Dez said miserably.

"Dude, seriously? She's jealous," Austin chuckled.

"Jealous of what?" he snorted.

"Not what. Who. Mindy. She's jealous of Mindy," Austin replied, waiting for it to sink in.

"But why would she be jealous of Mindy?" Dez asked, still confused.

Austin sighed. "She's jealous of Mindy because Mindy is your date and she isn't."

"Trish didn't want to go with me, that's ridiculous," Dez scoffed.

"Uh, yeah, she did. But it's more than that. Look, I've got to get back inside. Since you weren't smart enough to ask her, she's my date, so I should actually go dance with her," he laughed, giving him a slap on the back as he left.

Dez sat on the curb, feeling very confused.

Austin walked back inside and found Trish sitting at a table by herself. "Come on, Trish. Let's dance."

"No, I don't want to," she pouted.

"Come on. I'm not taking no for an answer," he said, pulling her to her feet and onto the dance floor.

Trish seemed to feel better as she got onto the floor and danced. Austin in turn was glad for the distraction. Look at them, he thought; one another's consolation prize. Regardless, he felt grateful for her company as he spun her around to the music.

Every once in awhile he caught a glimpse of Ally and Dallas dancing. The dance lessons certainly helped considerably. He had already talked to the DJ about playing certain types of music, in addition to the usual "prom favorites." He'd wanted Ally to feel comfortable, and it looked like she was having a great time.

"Hey, Austin, let's go get a drink, okay? I'm getting a little overheated," Trish said, suddenly.

They grabbed bottles of water and sat down at a table to rest a little. Ally and Dallas soon joined them.

"Hey, you two having a good time?" Austin asked brightly. Maybe too brightly, he thought.

"Yeah, we're having a lot of fun. You guys?" Dallas asked.

"Yeah… swell," Trish tensed up, as Mindy approached.

"Where's my date?" Mindy demanded.

"How should I know, Mindy? Maybe during one of your public make-out sessions you accidentally swallowed him," Trish glared.

"Hey, Trish, why don't we go dance?" Dallas asked. "Austin's been keeping you all night, give some other guys a chance, right?"

"That's a great idea," Ally chimed in. "We'll be right behind you."

Dallas grabbed Trish and pulled her to the dance floor before any further conflict could occur.

"Mindy, the last we saw Dez, he was outside getting some air," Austin replied.

"You need to keep your date away from my date, Austin Moon," she snapped, then stomping towards the door.

"What was that all about?" Ally asked. "What is going on?"

"Trish realized she has some feelings for Dez she needs to figure out. In the meantime, she's jealous and miserable," Austin sighed.

"Oh. I had no idea. Dez? Really?" Ally said, looking over at a morose Trish that Dallas was trying to cheer up by dancing really badly.

"Yeah, it hasn't been a good night for her," he frowned.

"I'm sorry," she said. "It looks like Dallas is cheering her up a little though. Hey, let's go join them."

She took him by the hand and they danced to a song Ally recognized as being performed by Chaka Khan (thanks to her Dad's cheesy vinyl record collection). As the song ended, Austin expected her to rejoin her date, but she stepped in closer for the slow song that followed.

"Austin, I really can't thank you enough for tonight," she said, looking up at him with those doe eyes.

"Me? What did I do?" he said.

"I've had a really great time dancing, and I never would've had the courage to do it if you hadn't taught me. And I've been able to talk to Dallas all night like a normal person, instead of some social freak. That's because of you too," she smiled.

"Well, I'm glad to be able to do something for you. You're always doing stuff for me. You write my songs, you gave me a career, and you got my dad down here tonight. I think you're still the better friend," he smiled back.

As the song ended, she squeezed his hand and kissed him lightly on the cheek before walking back to her date. He exhaled the breath he didn't realize he was holding.

"You okay, Austin?" Trish asked, after Ally walked away.

He shook himself. "Yeah, how about you?"

"I've been better. But I can either mope around all night, or I can have a good time with my date. What do you say?" she asked, holding out her hand.

"I think it's a great idea, Trish," he grinned, pulling her back to the dance floor.


	15. Chapter 15

**Chapter 15**

"Thanks, you guys! I had a great time!" Dallas said, waving as Austin and Trish left.

Austin decided to go home with his dad, and they gave Trish a ride home so she wouldn't have to ride back in the limo with Dez and Mindy. That left Dallas and Ally alone with them. Ally couldn't help but notice Dez looked a little miserable. When Mindy went to "powder her nose" before they got into the limo, Ally took the opportunity to talk to Dez.

"So, it seems like things are getting serious with you and Mindy?" she asked.

Dez groaned. "No. I don't know. Things are getting out of hand."

"Well, Dez, if you don't like her, you'd better break things off now. If it goes any further, she's going to be naming your unborn children," she hissed.

"Oh no, here she comes again. I just want her to keep her hands to herself," he moaned.

"Then tell her that!" she whispered.

The ride home wasn't quite as awkward as she'd feared. Dez seemed to take her advice to heart and maintained a small amount of personal space with Mindy. Dallas made pleasant small talk about how nice the prom had been. Finally, they arrived at Dallas's house and dropped Dez and Mindy to their car. Then they drove in the limo to Ally's house.

They sat in silence for a few minutes, until Dallas spoke first.

"I really wanted to thank you for coming to the prom with me, Ally. I had a lot of fun," he smiled.

She smiled back. "Me too. Your dancing has really improved."

"Yours too," he replied.

"Well, I have to admit, I got Austin to teach me," she smiled.

He nodded. "I figured. But I have a confession. I've been taking lessons too. I've been taking his mom's ballroom dance class the past few months. I wanted to be able to go to prom and not make a fool of myself."

"Well, she's a great teacher, because you're a great dancer now!" she laughed.

They arrived at her house and he walked her to the door. _This is it_, she thinks. _Will he try to kiss me? _

* * *

><p>Austin walked Trish up to the door and gave her a hug. He heard her sigh sadly.<p>

He pulled back and tilted up her chin. He saw the tears shining in her dark eyes. "Hey, don't do that. Don't you dare feel bad. You were beautiful, the most beautiful girl at the prom, and you were my date. Dez, on the other hand, spent his entire night being attacked by that horrible girl, and he was miserable. He'll figure out the mistake he made, you just have to figure out if you want him when he does. Okay?"

She nodded. "Thanks, Austin. Really, you have been an amazing friend tonight. You took me to the prom when you could have easily taken one of those bimbo cheerleader girls, and spent the whole time dancing with me. And even though you're conflicted about it, you still made sure Ally had a great evening with Dallas. Seriously, you are a great guy. Thank you."

She threw her arms around his neck and squeezed him tight. Then she kissed him on the cheek and said good-night.

Austin walked back to the car and got in next to his dad.

"So, did you have a good night, Son?" he asked him.

"The best," Austin smiled at him.

* * *

><p>Austin woke up to find his mom and dad in the kitchen making breakfast together the morning after the prom. It was a sight he hadn't seen since he was in preschool. They were laughing and it was really nice to see them getting along. He never harbored any hopes that they would get back together, like so many other kids whose parents got divorced. But it was hard on him for his parents to be so cold to one another. Seeing them be friends was everything he hoped for.<p>

They spent the day together at the beach, just the three of them. It felt like having a family.

On Sunday, his dad had to leave to go back to Connecticut. When they dropped him off at the airport, his dad hugged him and again told him how proud of him he was.

"I can't wait to spend the summer with you. It's our last summer together before you graduate. Then you'll be off living your life, making a life for yourself. You won't want to spend your summer with your old man," his dad said, a little sadness in his voice.

"Who knows. Maybe I'll end up in New York and I'll see you even more often," Austin said, giving him another hug.

"Tell Ally good-bye for me, and that she is welcome to come visit and stay with us anytime she wants this summer. I can also tell her dad that I'll make sure to chaperone you two very well if she does, and won't let any hanky panky go on," he said, giving him a wink.

"Dad," he groaned. "She's just a friend."

"I know. The same goes for Trish and Dez, too, they're welcome to visit." he said. "I'll call you later when I get in, and I'll see you in a week. Good luck on finals."

"Thanks. For everything. Love you, Dad," Austin said.

"Love you too, Son."


	16. Chapter 16

**Chapter 16**

After returning from the airport, Austin dragged Ally down to the beach so they could take a walk. The sun was just going down and the breeze was nice and cool, making up for the sweltering heat of the afternoon.

Austin told her everything that happened with his parents, and how wonderful it had been. Everything just felt right, he thought. And he owed that to Ally. She smiled and squeezed his hand as they walked along.

She looked up suddenly. "Oh! So I talked to Dez yesterday. Apparently, when he took Mindy home, he told her they needed to cool things down."

"How did Mindy take it?" Austin cringed.

"Not so good, apparently. Dez has to get his windshield replaced. Know of a good body shop?" she asked.

"Ouch, no."

"Yeah," she nodded. "But hopefully things will work out between him and Trish now that Mindy's out of the picture."

"Speaking of relationships, how did the rest of your evening with Dallas go?" he smiled.

Ally blushed. "It was good."

"Yeah?"

"Yeah," she said, smiling crimson. She knew what he was asking her. But she hadn't decided what to tell him yet.

"Oh come on. You're killing me here. Did you get your kiss or not?" he pressed.

She paused for a moment before continuing. "I don't kiss and tell."

He rolled his eyes. "Well, can you at least tell me if you two are now an item?"

She shrugged. "I really don't know."

They walked back to the mall, which had been closed for the past couple of hours. Ally had to grab her song book and purse from inside Sonic Boom, so Austin walked with her to the store.

Ally went to put her key into the lock and then stopped. She turned around and waited a moment before deciding to speak. "Okay, I confess," she said. "There was no kiss."

"Are you kidding?" he said, appalled. "What is wrong with him? Why on earth didn't he kiss you?"

She shrugged. "I think it was a mutual thing. I really liked him, and I still do, but when I got to know him better, it's just… we don't really have anything in common."

"Oh," is all Austin could say.

"Yeah, honestly, I had more fun on my dates with the Fake Dallas," she grinned.

Austin laughed.

Ally blushed slightly, and looked back down at her keys. "I should go," she said.

"Yeah," Austin replied. "But I'm sorry you didn't get your kiss." He looked down into her dark brown eyes and knew he was about to do exactly what he'd sworn he wouldn't do.

Her eyes widened in realization, but she still leaned into him, until he could feel her breath on his lips. He cupped her jaw and tilted her head upward. His eyes closed as he pressed his lips against hers. Her lips were soft and wet with lip gloss, flavored with berries. Her arms went around his neck, pulling him closer, until she was pressed against his chest. He could feel her pulse against his fingertips, could feel it quicken. He'd had that effect on her; he was glad it was reciprocated, because his heart was beating out of control.

He was the first to pull away, and then kissed her sweetly on the lips again. There was no going back now. But he didn't want to.

She looked up at him in wonder. _What had they just done? What did this mean?_

Austin was the first to speak. "I'm leaving in a week for Connecticut. I don't want to spend the whole summer without you. Will you come visit me?"

She smiled. "Of course I will."

* * *

><p><strong>So, that's the end of it! I hope you enjoyed it. I did not start out this story thinking it would turn out to be a romance, but with popular demand, decided to change the ending. My daughter persuaded me as well. There probably won't be a sequel, but who knows. Austin and Ally take New York? Never say never.<strong>


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